WOEFUL BACKSLIDING

It's true. I am a miserable, woeful, shocking, backslider.

Having worn the new plimsolls around the house for a couple of days, I came to the dreadful conclusion that there was not enough room in the toe-box. So it was a trip this afternoon back into the less frequented part of Cambridge where the awfully nice pimply yoof who purports to be a shop-keeper (and is in fact a wonderful shopkeeper, despite his age and skin condition) very kindly took them back and gave me a refund as he did not have any other plimsolls that I liked in his emporium.

So with a heavy heart I meandered heavily back into 'proper' Cambridge and fixed on a beer and double espresso at Don's. Standing there, in my own little half-world, with the whole of Cambridge passing the doorway and Mario expertly coaxing his gargantuan Italian Espresso machine to make the most perfect coffee in the world, the sudden rush of caffeine hit my veins and I resolved to have another go. But this time, I would look in at my favourite outdoor emporium; Open Air.

An hour later I was jauntily clutching a new box of shoes for the great outdoors. Alas, even I could not describe the new beasts as plimsolls. They look like a traditional boot but are made from modern lightweight materials. They weigh 208 grams heavier than the Fastpackers, but they still give me a 265 gram saving per boot over the old faithful Scarpa Nepals. That's 9 ounces per foot. It's a step in the right direction, I suppose...

So - I am no longer a super dooper ultra-light gear fetishist. Sigh... They are jolly comfy though. And Lord Elpus will be happier with my choice too. Can't go frightening the horses all in one go now, can we?

So, a warm welcome to my new "Salomon Quest 4D GTX's" -that's another great mouthful, isn't it? I shall christen them "Slippers".